GPER/GPR30, a membrane estrogen receptor, is expressed in the brain and retina of a social fish (Carassius auratus) and colocalizes with isotocin

ABSTRACT Estradiol rapidly (within 30 minutes) influences a variety of sociosexual behaviors in both mammalian and nonmammalian vertebrates, including goldfish, in which it rapidly stimulates approach responses to the visual cues of females. Such rapid neuromodulatory effects are likely mediated via membrane‐associated estrogen receptors; however, the localization and distribution of such receptors within the nervous system is not well described. To begin to address this gap, we identified GPER/GPR30, a G‐protein‐coupled estrogen receptor, in goldfish (Carassius auratus) neural tissue and used reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and in situ hybridization to test if GPR30 is expressed in the brain regions that might mediate visually guided social behaviors in males. We then used immunohistochemistry to determine whether GPR30 colocalizes with isotocin‐producing cells in the preoptic area, a critical node in the highly conserved vertebrate social behavior network. We used quantitative (q)PCR to test whether GPR30 mRNA levels differ in males in breeding vs. nonbreeding condition and in males that were socially interacting with a female vs. a rival male. Our results show that GPR30 is expressed in the retina and in many brain regions that receive input from the retina and/or optic tectum, as well as in a few nodes in the social behavior network, including cell populations that produce isotocin. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:252–270, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. GPR30/GPER, a membrane estrogen receptor, is expressed in the retina, in brain nuclei that receive retinal inputs, and in isotocin‐producing cells in the preoptic area. Together, these observations suggest that GPR30 activation has the potential to modulate sensory and neuroendocrine processes that underlie visually‐guided social behavior in goldfish.